Check SSL Status

Learning Focus

By the end of this lesson you will know how to confirm that your SSL setup is fully working.

From the Server

# Verify the SSL handshake completes
openssl s_client -connect localhost:443 -servername example.com 2>/dev/null | head -20

# Check certificate details
openssl s_client -connect localhost:443 -servername example.com 2>/dev/null | \
  openssl x509 -noout -subject -issuer -dates

# Check the service is listening on 443
sudo ss -tlnp | grep 443

From Cloudflare

1. Go to SSL/TLS → Overview in the Cloudflare dashboard
2. Status should show Active with your selected mode

From a Browser

Visit https://example.com and click the padlock icon to view certificate details. With Cloudflare proxied, you will see Cloudflare's edge certificate, not your origin certificate.

Key Takeaways

• Verify from the server, Cloudflare dashboard, and browser for full confidence.
• openssl s_client tests the exact handshake Cloudflare performs.
• The browser shows Cloudflare's edge cert, not your origin cert — this is normal.

What's Next

• Continue to Test TLS Handshake for detailed handshake analysis.